I Think My Tank Has Finished Cycling.

[Jcartwright]

I think my tank has cycled. The Ammonia drops to 0ppm (from around 4-5ppm) in about 6-8 hours if not less. The Nitrites are at 0ppm (But no Nitrates ).
Can i add some fish? If so my selction is

10 Neon Tetra
10 Black Tetra
5 Corydoras
5 Zebra loaches
3 Paradise Fish (1M 2F)
5 ottos

Can i add all 20 tetras in one go? Or do i put them in bit by bit?

 

[dc3]

I would put them in gradually - don't want to overwhelm the filter.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

wait until you have nitrates then do a big water change

How long did it take for your nitite to get to 0ppm

 

[lilfishie]

what is your tanks size?

 

[rdd1952]

A cycle tank should definitely have nitrate unless you are using something like nitro-zorb in your filter to remove it. Keep adding ammonia. When it can process 4 ppm of ammonia to no ammonia and no nitrite in 10 to 12 hours you are cycled. When you are completely cycled, you can add pretty much your full fish load as there will be plenty of bacteria to handle what a normal stock of fish can produce.

The paradise fish are not a good match for the other fish you plan to have. They will most likely kill everything else you plan to have as they are very aggressive. Also, what size tank is it?

 

[Jcartwright]

wait until you have nitrates then do a big water change

How long did it take for your nitite to get to 0ppm

I had Nitrates up to about 20ppm but then they gradually dropped to around 5 ppm.
It took just over 4 weeks for Nitrites to reach 0ppm.

what is your tanks size?

My tanks is a second hand Jewel Rio 180 with all standard filter and heater that came with it new.

A cycle tank should definitely have nitrate unless you are using something like nitro-zorb in your filter to remove it. Keep adding ammonia. When it can process 4 ppm of ammonia to no ammonia and no nitrite in 10 to 12 hours you are cycled. When you are completely cycled, you can add pretty much your full fish load as there will be plenty of bacteria to handle what a normal stock of fish can produce.

The paradise fish are not a good match for the other fish you plan to have. They will most likely kill everything else you plan to have as they are very aggressive. Also, what size tank is it?

I add Ammonia up to 4-5ppm before i go work (about 6:00-7:00am). When i come home (between 16:00-17:00) it's pretty much all gone. I add some more before i go bed. So it's almost 10hrs from 4-5ppm to 0ppm. The Nitrites have been at 0ppm for about 4 days now. I haven't a clue about my filter other than all the media, that should be there according to the instructions, is there.


It was either paradise fish or Dwarf Gouramis.

 

[rdd1952]

I'm baffled as to where the nitrates age going. You must have some type media in the filter that is removing them as nitrates can only beremoved by water changes (other than the media). They don't evaporate with the water.

 

[scouse_andy]

Have you got a green nitrate removal sponge in the filter or just two coarse blue and two fine blue sponges?

I am cycling a rio 240 at the moment with a very similar filter to the 180 and my nitrates are very definitely present! Just waiting for the nitrites to drop off.....

If you do have a green sponge in there then take it out. You should have two of each of the other sponges I mentioned.

 

[Yazan]

How much liters or gallons is your tank,.

 

[Jcartwright]

Have you got a green nitrate removal sponge in the filter or just two coarse blue and two fine blue sponges?

I am cycling a rio 240 at the moment with a very similar filter to the 180 and my nitrates are very definitely present! Just waiting for the nitrites to drop off.....

If you do have a green sponge in there then take it out. You should have two of each of the other sponges I mentioned.

Checked the filter media to see what colour the sponges were and they're green.
The bottom sponges are a coarse green and the top are a fine green with a black sponge on top.

Do i really have to take them out? Wouldn't it mean i don't have to as many water changes?
The Ammonia is being used up within 10hrs and the Nitrites have now been used up. I think i'm ready to add fish.

If i do have to take the green sponges out will i have to recycle the tank again?

 

[rdd1952]

If you take out part of the sponges, you will remove some of your bacteria but it should only take about 24 hours for the colony to reproduce to accomodate the lose. Just keep adding ammonia for an extra day or so until it is processing it in the proper time frame again.

 

[lilfishie]

well your tank is aproximately 47 US gallons which is about 40 Uk gallons, so using the inch per gallon rule you would have:

10 Neon Tetra- 1.75 inch x 10 (17.5 inch)
10 Black Tetra- 1.75 inch x 10 (35 inch)
5 Corydoras (depends on the species)
5 Zebra loaches- 3 inch x 5 (50 inch)
3 Paradise Fish (1M 2F)- 3 inch x 3 (59 inch)
5 ottos- 2 inch x 5 (69 inch)

so you are already over stocked (without the cories)
maybe have just one shoal of tetras and cut down the numbers a bit, have a think then check back here

 

[Miss Wiggle]

if your ammonia and nitrite are being used up that quickly then your cycled, don't worry too much over the nitrates, nitrate test kits are very unreliable so it could just be dodgy readings. you have better proof through your ammonia and nitrite readings that it is cycled.

hold off on the neon's, they're a bit delicate and would do better if you want a month or two to let the tank stabilise

 

[OohFeeshy]

well your tank is aproximately 47 US gallons which is about 40 Uk gallons, so using the inch per gallon rule you would have:

10 Neon Tetra- 1.75 inch x 10 (17.5 inch)
10 Black Tetra- 1.75 inch x 10 (35 inch)
5 Corydoras (depends on the species)
5 Zebra loaches- 3 inch x 5 (50 inch)
3 Paradise Fish (1M 2F)- 3 inch x 3 (59 inch)
5 ottos- 2 inch x 5 (69 inch)

so you are already over stocked (without the cories)
maybe have just one shoal of tetras and cut down the numbers a bit, have a think then check back here

Stupid stocking guideline, never was a rule and never will be. Nothing wrong with the stocking levels, although as mentioned it might be a good idea to swap the paradise fish for dwarf gouramis or similar. You could probably add both schools of tetras at the same time, or if you want it a bit more even, one school of tetras and the cories. Although *technically* it would actually be better to add the less hardy fish, like the otos, first off- you definately have more than enough bacteria, whereas if you add them later, you don't. But I know most people don't agree with that theory.

 

[djceri_g]

Im currently cycling a Juel Trigon tank. I know, all Juwel filtr nedia has a Nitrate remoal sponge. (the green one under the carbon sponge) I was thinking to myself if I should take it out or not. At the moment i have a Juwel Record running for approx 9 months and always test for nitrate and the results are 0 ppm! Also, my palnts haven't been doing well in this tank and wondering whether this sponge is the problem! Plants needs nitrates to feed right?